Adjustable slide staining holder



S. ROTHBERG May 9, 1967 ADJUSTABLE SLIDE STAINING HOLDER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 24, 1965 Fig.

INVENTOR Sidney Raf/wary ATTORNEYS y 9, 1967 s. ROTHBERG 3,318,458

ADJUSTABLE SLIDE STAINING HOLDER iled June 24, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig.3

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INVENTOR. Sidney Rorhberg United States Patent 3,318,458 ADJUSTABLE SLIDE STAINING HOLDER Sidney Rothberg, 5508 Elderon Ave., Baltimore, Md. 21215 Filed June 24, 1965, Ser. No. 466,870 9 Claims. (Cl. 211-113) The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payment to me of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in apparatus designed for the laboratory wherein quick, sanitary and effective means are provided to stain bacteria, blood smears and the like,

More particularly, it is the aim of the invention to provide a novel construction of an adjustable slide staining holder which can be placed within a sink, either in standing position, or wherein said apparatus can be attached directly to a sink faucet in order that the stains can be washed directly into the sink and flushed away.

The old method of accomplishing the staining operation was performed by the operator placing an ordinary staining rack into a dish or pan. The pan was supportably leveled and maintained in this position by means of wedges so that the staining liquids could not run off into the lower end or side of the pan. The stain was washed off after a specified period. This method proved to be unsatisfactory since after each staining operation, the pan became contaminated with an accumulation of old stains which had to be thoroughly cleaned and washed thereby Wasting a considerable amount of valuable time. Furthermore, diificulties were encountered by the operator in keeping the slides level so that the staining medium would not drain from the slides.

My device can be set up quickly and efiiciently in a matter of seconds. It can be set within or fastened over a sink in a level position by means of a knurled ball and socket joint and a round level. The slides are securely held in place within a plurality of engagement slots located on the top edges of the holder and said slides on the specimen holder can be quickly stained. Furthermore, the slides can be washed by means of a piece of rubber tubing attached onto the sink faucet. The stain and the cleasing medium are immediately flushed down the drain. Hence, no time consuming operation is required to remove the messy condition that prevailed in prior staining operations.

A better understanding of the invention is gained from an examination of the accompanying drawings, in which FIGURE 1 is a perspective View of the adjustable slide staining holder shown in a suspended position over a sink.

FIGURE 2 is a vertical cross sectional view of a ball and socket joint.

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of a modified version of my invention in standing position (within a sink).

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view taken at 44 showing the connection between the modified version of the adjustable slide staining holder and the support thereof.

Referring first to FIGURE 1, the numeral 2 designates the adjustable slide staining holder. The slide holder may be made to any desirable shape such as circular, square, rectangular, etc. and the apparatus of any suitable noncorrosive rigid material, such as wood, plastic, metal and preferably stainless steel. The slide holder 2 is preferably constructed to have a substantially rectangular frame although it could also be constructed to have a concentric frame. The upper side edges of this frame-like structure have grooved thereupon a plurality of evenly spaced and matched engagement slots 3 each being designed to hold a slide 5 (only one is shown). The slide holder 2 has a centrally located bridge 7 which has fastened onto it at a step 9 a round level 11. The bridge has threadedly fastened in the approximity of its center a suspension rod 13 of which the opposite end terminates within a knurled ball and socket joint generally shown at 15. This joint (see FIGURE 2) comprises the rod 13 having a ball 17, an extension rod 19 having a concaved nipple 21 designed to engage the ball 17 and an internally chamfered retaining nut 23 which at assembly mates with the threads of the extension rod 19. The general construction of the knurled ball and socket joint is substantially as shown in FIGURES 1 and 2. The staining holder 2 is generally suspended over a sink 25 by means of an adjustable bracket 27 which is attached onto a sink faucet 29. The slide holder 2 can be rigidly stabilized by the operator tightening the nut 23 which action will force or press the ball 17 against the cupped or concave surface of the nipple 21. A piece of rubber tubing 31 is provided and attached onto the sink faucet 29 for the purpose of washing the slides 5.

The modified version of my invention shown in FIG- URE 3 is substantially the same as my first device (FIG- URE 1) except that I show a dual frame structure bridged together to support twice the number of slides as the first device as shown in FIGURE 1. This bridge having a plurality of joining members 32 has welded adjacent to the bottom surface in alignment with a threaded bore 33, a nut 35 (see FIGURE 4). The nut 35 serves the purpose of adding an extra thickness to the bridge for the insertion of the threaded member 13. This particular device has the members 13, 19, 23 (ball and socket joint) located beneath said slide holder 4 since this structure is intended to be utilized by being placed within a sink in a standing position by means of a tripod instead of the suspended position as shown in the device of FIGURE 1. Although if desired, the coupling device members 13, 19, 23 can be reversed and fastened on the top of the bridge thereby allowing the slide holder to be attached to the sink faucet and thus be utilized in the suspended position. In addition to all the parts cited in my first device, I provide in this instance an adjustable tripod 37. It is to be understood, however, that any other equally suitable supporting means such as for example a large rubber suction cup or a weighted slab may be utilized if desired to substitute for the leg structure. The slide holder 4 can be easily raised or lowered (by the operator) to a desired height and then tightened in a fixed position on the tripod by means of a thumbscrew 39.

Other modifications will readily suggest themselves, and it will be understood that various changes in the form, proportion, and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An adjustable slide staining holder for use in maintaining stained slides in a level position, comprising an open structural rectangular unit having engagement slots therein for mounting slides thereon, said unit having a solid surface midway between said ends, a suspension rod attached centrally to said solid surface, a leveling device fastened to said surface, an extension rod, means of coupling said suspension rod to said extension rod, and means fastening said extension rod onto a faucet.

2. An adjustable slide staining holder for use in maintaining slides in a level position, comprising in combination of a rectangular slide holder having a parallel surface engagement slots for containing slides, said holder having a bridge midway between its ends, said bridge having a suspension rod attached perpendicular to said center, a leveling device contained on said bridge surface, said suspension rod terminating within a remote coupling device, an extension rod means of fastening said extension rod to said coupling device, and means attaching said extension rod onto a sink faucet.

3. An adjustable slide stalmng holder for use in maintaining slides in a level position, comprising in combination a non-corrosive, rigid, rectangular frame slide holder, said upper side frame edges having parallel matched engagement slots, said frame having a centrally located bridge containing a step, said bridge step containing a round level thereon, a suspension rod means of fastening said suspension rod perpendicular to said center of said bridge, said suspension rod terminating within a remote coupling device, said device consisting of a ball and socket joint, an extension rod means of fastening said extension rod to said coupling device, and means adjustably attaching the upper portion of said extension rod onto a sink faucet.

4. The combination as specified in claim 3 wherein said adjustable slide staining holder comprises a square frame slide holder.

5. The combination as specified in claim 3 wherein said adjustable slide staining holder comprises dual rectangular frame structures, said structure having a plurality of joining members.

6. The combination as specified in claim 3 wherein said adjustable slide staining holder is fabricated from stainless steel.

7. An adjustable slide staining holder for use in maintaining slides in a level position, comprising in combination a non-corrosive rigid rectangular frame slide holder,

said upper frame edges having parallel matched engagement slots, said frame having a centrally located bridge, said bridge containing a round level thereon, said' bridge containing a centrally threaded bore therethrough, means of fastening a nut adjacent to the bottom surface of said bridge in alignment with said bore, a suspension rod inserted from beneath said bridge in said bore, a remote coupling device attached to the terminal end of said sus- References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,295,523 2/ 1919 Kirby 24044.2 1,620,351 3/1927 Hnilo et a1. 34239 1,717,233 6/ 1929 Lefiell 21l-87 2,357,774 9/ 1944 Stewart 248-212 2,864,105 12/1958 Rose 15102 CHANCELLOR E. HARRIS, Primary Examiner. K. I. WINGERT, Assistant Examiner. 

1. AN ADJUSTABLE SLIDE STAINING HOLDER FOR USE IN MAINTAINING STAINED SLIDES IN A LEVEL POSITION, COMPRISING AN OPEN STRUCTURAL RECTANGULAR UNIT HAVING ENGAGEMENT SLOTS THEREIN FOR MOUNTING SLIDES THEREON, SAID UNIT HAVING A SOLID SURFACE MIDWAY BETWEEN SAID ENDS, A SUSPENSION ROD ATTACHED CENTRALLY TO SAID SOLID SURFACE, A LEVELING DEVICE FASTENED TO SAID SURFACE, AN EXTENSION ROD, MEANS OF COUPLING SAID SUSPENSION ROD TO SAID EXTENSION ROD, AND MEANS FASTENING SAID EXTENSION ROD ONTO A FAUCET. 